Automated garage door openers got popular in the 1970s and have evolved into a substantial market with a plethora of different sorts of automated garage door openers for industrial and residential garages. Automated garage door openers took the inconvenience out of having to get out of the car to physically open the overhead door.

There are four types of overhead door openers: chain driven, belt drive, screw drive, and jack-shaft. Every type operates in different ways and your particular needs will lead you to the most ideal opener for your garage door.

Points to think about when purchasing an opener:

Do you need extra safety features for your opener? This is very significant if you have children.
Are you searching for a very quiet opener?
Do you live in an environment with harsh temperatures (in which a screw drive opener may be the most ideal option)?
Do you want remote control access?
Does your garage facilitate ceiling mounting of the opener, or do you have cathedral ceilings (which would make a jack-shaft the best option)?
What is your budget? Chain-drive openers are the least expensive of the four options.
Chain Drive
Chain-drive openers are probably the most preferred of the four types of garage door openers. They are the least expensive. They are the noisiest of the four styles, they are extremely durable and are a good overhead door opener choice.

Belt Drive
Due to the fact that they use rubber click here belts, belt-drive openers are more quiet than chain drives. They cost a bit more than chain-drive openers here and are best for people with living areas above or next to the garage. There are also minimal vibrations associated with this opener type.

Screw Drives
This overhead door opener type is oftentimes used in environments with extreme temperatures since they are developed to withstand temperature changes. Screw-drive openers will not suffer from iced over chains or other weather-related problems. The tracks are plastic-lined and there is very little servicing involved.

Jack-shaft
Jack-shaft drives are very good for getting rid of that massive overhead door opener box on the ceiling of your garage. Jack-shaft openers are installed on the side wall of your garage and are great for garages with tall ceilings. Another bonus is that they are very silent.

In case you are unsure about whichever garage door opener is best for your garage, then locate a local garage door professional who can assist you decide.


Automatic garage door openers became popular in the 1970s and have evolved into a huge market with a plethora of different kinds of automatic garage door openers for residential and commercial garages. Automatic garage door openers took the inconvenience out of having to get out of the car to manually open the garage door. When safety is such an important issue, as it is with garage doors and garage read more door openers, it's simply better to leave it to the experts.